Almost Happily Ever After
by Moonlight222
Summary: Picks up where Sonata left off. Will Mick and Beth be able to make a vampire/human relationship work? Will Coraline let them be happy? This is NC-17 rated, contains adult scenes/themes, violence & swearing. Do not read if under age or easily offended.
1. Chapter 1

**Almost Happily Ever After**

**Chapter One**  
Beth lay nestled in Mick's arms, a sheen of sweat covering them both as the tingles of their recent pleasure faded away slowly. The weeks since he had declared his love had been the most amazing of his 85 years – _and not just because of the hot sex_, he thought to himself.

The unmistakable veil of love has descended over their firm friendship and only seemed to be growing stronger each passing day. That's not to say they didn't have their disagreements – Beth was remaining stubbornly unmovable on her career, and Mick was increasingly worried about her dangerous investigations for Talbot – not to mention Talbot himself. _He was_, he admitted to himself at least, _being a little unreasonable_. After all, it was Beth's strong will and penchant for getting into danger while doggedly pursuing the truth that had caused him to fall in love with her in the first place. But now he finally had her in his arms, damned if he was going to lose her now. He was all too aware of her frail mortality.

"I can hear the cogs turning, Mick," Beth muttered in a sleepy tone, "What are you thinking about?"

She knew him so well! "Just how much I love you, that's all," he replied. _Well, it was a partial truth._

"Hrmph," she mumbled into his chest as she fell into a satisfied sleep.

_I love her so much, I don't know what I'd do if I lost her_, he thought as he automatically squeezed her closer to his chest. But it was this glow of new love which made what he had to say to her even harder.

"Hey!" Beth said, awake suddenly and struggling to move in Mick's vampire embrace. "Breathing is important! You may not need to but I do!"

"Oh," he said absentmindedly, loosening his vice-like grip around her, "Sorry!"

Beth rolled her eyes at him. "What IS it Mick?" she shot again – half amused, half annoyed. He so obviously had something on his mind it may as well be lit up in neon on his forehead.

Mick paused before answering. The phrasing of his next sentence was going to be important. After a moment he decided to go with simple honesty.

"I have to go and get her, Beth."

All sleepiness gone, Beth sat bolt upright in bed like she'd been stung by a bee on the behind. "What are you talking about?" she snapped, knowing full well what he was getting at.

"Coraline," he replied in a resigned tone.

"WHY?" Beth squeaked.

"You know why."

_Damn Mick and his over-developed sense of morality!_ Beth thought to herself. _Why couldn't I have one of those bastard boyfriends who don't give a crap about anyone but themselves? _

"You don't owe her anything!" Beth countered, temper flaring.

"I know. But she was my wife," he said simply. "She gave up her life, allowed herself to be staked to save me. I can't leave her to whatever they are dong to her …" Mick's voice trailed off as he remembered the evil emanating from Lance. He shuddered to think what was happening to Coraline. Even his worst enemy didn't deserve the fate she was facing at the hands of her own brother.

Beth folded her arms and glared at him. "She betrayed you! In the worst possible way! On your wedding night!"

"That's true, but if I leave her to die, I'm no better than she is. Tell me, why do you love me?" he asked, unfolding her arms and taking her hands in his.

Beth stubbornly looked away, knowing where this was leading.

"OK, let me put it another way," Mick continued. "Could you love a man who could stand by while a woman he used to care about was being tortured or worse?"

_Damn,_ Beth thought. _She was being painted into a corner with his annoying logic! _

"How can I be sure that's why you're going?" Beth whispered, knowing he was right but unable to allay her own fears. "How do I know it's not because you still …" her voice trailed off.

Mick gently gathered her in his arms. "You're worried I still love her?"

Beth nodded into his chest.

Mick hugged her close, feeling his emotions well up. "I promise you, as long as we live, you will never have to doubt how much I love you. Never," he said firmly. "Before you, I never even knew love could be like this! When I think about that fucked-up, freak show of a marriage I had, I want to laugh it's so insane!"

He lifted her chin and looked in her blue eyes. "You, Beth. You are what I have been looking for my whole life. Mortal or immortal. Until the end of time, Beth, it's you and me. I swear."

Beth blinked away her tears. _She loved him so much! Even more because of the type of man he showed her he was every day. Even more_, she grudgingly admitted to herself, _because of what he had to do now._

She grudgingly nodded. "I love you too. And I understand why you have to do this."

Mick planted a kiss on her soft lips before nuzzling her neck and breathing in her sweet scent. He felt the stirrings of passion not long ago sated but reluctantly extracted himself from her tangled sheets and picked up his clothing.

"You're going NOW?" Beth asked, alarmed.

"Not yet. I have some research to do. I have no idea where to start to find her," he replied.

Beth watched as he quickly dressed, gave her a lingering kiss goodbye and left her apartment.

_Well,_ she thought to herself. _If he thought she was taking this lying down he had another think coming! She was not losing Mick on a futile and dangerous act of chivalry! She had lost Josh, she had lost Maureen, she was not losing him too!_ She got up and found her clothes in a tangle on the floor. _She was going to need help, and she knew exactly who to go to to get it …_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Beth!" Josef exclaimed as she walked into his newly refurbished office that evening, "what a pleasant surprise!" he added, dropping the level of sarcasm and almost sounding like he meant it. "You're looking well." _Well didn't really cover it,_ he thought. _She was positively glowing with love and she reeked of Mick. They had obviously been sealing the deal. A lot_. Her palpable happiness was almost enough to make him rethink his cynicism about human/vamp relationships. Almost. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"It's Mick," Beth started, getting to the point. "He's about to get himself killed."

Josef sighed. "Again …? He really needs another hobby," he quipped.

"Tell me about it," Beth agreed.

"What pointless yet noble crusade is he on this time?" The sarcasm was back in spades.

"He wants to rescue Coraline. Says he can't live with himself knowing what she may be going through and even though he doesn't love her anymore he still needs to do this," Beth explained all in one breath.

"Ah," Josef said, understanding immediately. "That IS pointless yet noble. And I guess you're here to get me to talk him out of it?"

"Yes," Beth replied firmly.

"No beating about the bush or pleasant chit chat?" he commented, impressed. This was his kind of woman, no blithering, no dilly-dallying – straight to business. "But I fear your faith in me is misplaced. Never in the 55 years that I have known him have I been able to talk Mick out of anything. Ever," Josef concluded.

"I'm sure, but …"

"No. You're not understanding … EVER. In 55 years - not once," Josef added for good measure.

Beth looked at Josef, _the pain and fear on her face would have been heartbreaking – if he had a heart,_ he thought.

"You once said that Lance was one of the most dangerous vampires around," Beth said, determined not to cry. "Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Then knowing this, I'm sure you'll think of something," she shot.

#

Josef was more worried than he let on to Beth. Lance wasn't one of the most dangerous vampires he'd ever met – he was THE most dangerous. He was freaking vampire ROYALTY for fuck's sake! Rich, powerful, strong and mean – old school. Josef had consciously stayed out of the family's way for the last 300 years, but he'd heard the stories. Lance and his brothers thought it nothing to crush whomever was in their way to get what they wanted. They were vindictive about it and enjoyed the kill – human or vampire. They made Josef look positively warm and fuzzy and the tar pits look like a tea party.

Josef looked around his newly finished pad, running his cold hand along equally cold stone. He had finally decided on a sleek yet chic design – all marble and stainless steel. He liked to think of it as Ancient Greece meets operating theater.

He would never admit it – hell he hardly admitted it to himself – but they day he re-turned Mick was one of the scariest in his undead life. For a moment after he had drained his best friend of blood, thoughts of Sarah had come unbidden into his mind and he worried Mick might not reawaken at all. So for Mick now to be running into almost certain death for an ex-wife he couldn't stand was ridiculous. Josef wondered how much of this was about Coraline and how much was about the Cure.

As if summoned by Josef's thoughts, Mick suddenly came striding into the room. "Hey," he said, looking around at the new digs, "nice job. Very … you."

"Just the man I wanted to see," Josef replied, moving over and clapping Mick on the back. "Drink?"

"Sure," Mick nodded.

Josef poured the pair some scotch and they settled onto a cream leather sofa, facing each other. He noted Mick was also glowing with love – which was a pretty hard thing to do as a vamp. _It's almost sickening_, he thought.

"So, I know why I'm here, but why did you want to see me?" Mick asked his friend.

"I have a job for you," Josef improvised. "Could take a while but it's right up your alley …"

"What's the problem?"

"Uh, I think someone's embezzling from me," Josef explained – he would have to work out the details of this fictitious embezzlement later – "And after the charity scam I can't afford any more screw-ups."

Mick took a swig of scotch and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm kinda working on something personal right now which is what I wanted to talk to you about. Why don't you hire a forensic accountant?"

_Good question,_ Josef thought. He wished Mick hadn't turned up quite so soon to allow him to concoct a better lie. "Because I want you to do it my friend. You're the only one I trust ," he replied smoothly.

"Sorry," Mick said again.

"You can name your price," Josef added. "Any amount at all … come on, girlfriends are expensive, they like shiny things …"

Mick smiled as thoughts of Beth entered his mind. "Can't, sorry."

Josef knew this attempted distraction was going to get him nowhere. "How's Beth?" he asked, changing tactics.

"You tell me buddy, it smells like she was just here," Mick retorted.

_Crap,_ Josef mused.

"I take it she filled you in on my plan?" Mick continued.

"She did mention your plan to walk into a painful, permanent death for no good reason, yes. For some reason, she seemed upset by this. Can't imagine why."

"And I guess you are going to try and talk me out of it?"

"To the best of my abilities, yes." Josef paused before continuing. "You know I like Coraline as much as the next guy, she certainly has her … charms. But she knew what she was getting into stealing the cure Mick. You owe her nothing."

"Is that it?" Mick asked.

Josef exhaled in annoyance. "No! That's not it! You have no freaking idea what you are getting yourself into! Lance and his brothers make dangerous look like a newborn puppy! They will kill you and pause only long enough to step over your dead body on their way to lunch. These are the men who had their own sister branded a whore! And from what I hear they used to loan out her abilities to their royal friends … Just imagine what they will do to you if you irritate them, my friend." He stopped to let this sink in before continuing. "Look, they have spent centuries keeping this cure hidden from vampire society and then Coraline not only steals it, but brings it to LA and proceeds to show it around! Her brothers would not be pleased to say the least. I'd bet all my money she's dead already. Let it go."

Mick was touched by his friend's rare show of emotion. "She might be dead, but until I know for sure, I have to try."

"Are you will to risk your shiny new relationship to save Coraline?" Josef asked flat out. "Because let me tell you, the woman who came here today – she is displeased."

Mick nodded. "I know. But I think she at least understands why I have to do this. I wouldn't ever do anything to jeopardize what I have with Beth, I love her, but how am I supposed to live the rest of my life with the woman I love knowing that I abandoned the woman I used to love because it was inconvenient to save her? Forever is a long time to have regrets."

Josef sighed his assent – he knew a little something about regret himself. "Ok, well, if I can't talk you out of it, I'm going to have to do the next best thing …"

"The tar pits? .." Mick asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tempting, but no. I'm going to have to help you, obviously."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Beth sat on her sofa in the dark, steadfastly ignoring the ring of her cell phone. She swirled the deep red cabernet she was drinking in a bulbous glass and then took a long sip. While she had tried to stave off the tears, they came anyway, unbidden, and rolled down her cheeks. She brushed them away absentmindedly and drank.

She was, in a word, terrified for Mick. While he had had no problems when it came to dealing with the few rogues in the local vampire population, Lance and his brothers were something else altogether. Mick had barely survived the last couple of encounters with him, both as a vamp and a human, and Beth got the distinct impression that was only because Lance hadn't considered his 'brother-in-law' to be much of a threat. Beth knew that things would be altogether different this time.

It was taking all her will power to stop herself from asking him not to go. And she couldn't do that because she knew, if she really wanted him to stay, he would. Despite her fears, she did understand why he needed to rescue Coraline and if he didn't at least try, he would regret it for his long, eternal life. Beth loved him too much to do that to him. She couldn't make him feel any more like a monster than he already did.

But if she lost Mick she had no idea what she'd do. Her heart tore at the mere thought. It was hard enough losing Josh, and she hadn't even loved him as much as she now loved her beautiful vampire _(and that made her feel quite guilty thank you very much but she couldn't afford to think about that now – that could be tomorrow night's drinking session)._

There was also the issue of Coraline, and while Beth believed Mick when he said he didn't love her anymore, she knew Coraline would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. And if what she wanted was Mick, well, Beth had no idea how to prevent her from beguiling him. She had nearly succeeded in seducing him as Morgan and, of course, she had all those sexy courtesan-type skills at her disposal. _Compared to that, I'm practically a virgin,_ Beth thought.

Beth took another long sip of wine while she tried to push the third reason for her late night wine party out of her mind. It was something she didn't even want to admit to herself. Something she had been thinking about even before this whole rescuing Coraline fiasco had reared its head those few hours ago. Closing her eyes, she lowered her face into wine-free hand. It was Mick. _He is holding back, _she reluctantly acknowledged to herself. He was keeping part of himself from her - she felt it keenly and even more so when they made love. He was trying to protect her, she knew, from the animal inside. But in doing so, she never felt like she had all of him. When they made love, she totally surrendered to him – body and soul – but Mick did not. She felt a disconnect from this amazing man she had fallen in love with. It wasn't that they didn't click in bed – _God how they clicked! _She felt a delicious tug between her legs just thinking about it – _hot mouths, searing flesh, groans of pleasure, shuddering release over and over and over … _But Mick was too afraid of completely letting go, and one of the recent cases they worked on involving an accidental killing of a human by a vampire in the throes of passion, had made the reason abundantly clear to both of them. Mick could not let loose sexually with a human – yet another thing Coraline had over her.

Beth let the tears flow freely now as she finished her wine. The three concerns flying around her head seemed like a good enough reason for her to cry in earnest.

#

Mick watched Beth from her apartment's small balcony as she bowed her head into her hands and sobbed. He had tried many times, unsuccessfully, to get her on her cell, so he had fallen back on old habits and climbed up to her apartment to watch her from afar. He had done this more times over the years than he cared to admit even to himself, let alone Beth. At first it was a part of his protector routine – he would drop in now and then to ensure she was well and happy. But as he found himself falling in love with her, his reasons for visiting became less protective and more, well, _stalkerish_ – he admitted ruefully. There had been a few nights when he had left his vigil, his heart racing and emotions swelling dangerously, after seeing Beth and Josh head off to bed together. It was sweet torture.

It was worse than torture tonight, watching her cry because of a decision he had made. The fact that this was practically a kamikaze mission seemed to be the general consensus among all who knew of the plan. Mick almost smiled when he remembered Logan's reaction – _"You want me to find who?! he had asked incredulously. "Sorry, I have to ask, but are you on some kind of vampire crack? Seriously – this is the greatest suicide mission since Obi Wan flew Luke Skywalker and Han Solo too close to the death star!"_

Still, he had agreed to 'see what he could find'. Joseph, meanwhile was pulling some strings among his old-world contacts to see what he could dig up.

Mick took a step closer to the open balcony door, aching to take Beth in his arms and tell her it would be ok, that he would never leave her, that she was and is the only thing keeping him alive.

Beth looked up "You can come in you know," she called, wiping the last of the moisture from her face.

Mick stepped inside. "How did you know I was out there?"

"I didn't. But it was a pretty good bet," she replied, almost smiling.

Mick strode over and gathered her to him. "I'm sorry," he murmured as he rained soft kisses upon her lips, face and hair. "I didn't ever want to make you cry …"

"I know," Beth replied, seeking his lips and kissing him back eagerly.

The growing passion between them was suddenly interrupted by the shrill of Mick's cell. He reluctantly pulled himself away from Beth long enough to check the caller ID. "It's Josef, I have to take this," he apologized.

Beth nodded as Mick wandered out of earshot to take the call. Her eyes raked over him hungrily as he talked softly in the kitchen. His long, muscular legs were encased in his usual black jeans and she could just make out the outline of his thighs and the taut flesh of his ass through the fabric. She eyed his form like a woman starving. She had never loved and wanted a man this much in her entire life. _If I were to have him taken away now _… tears sprung forth again at the thought.

Mick finished the call and strode back over to the couch, a look of trepidation on his face.

"So I guess Josef didn't talk any sense into you then?" Beth asked nervously, brushing the tears away.

"Ah, no," he replied. "But he's helping, which turns the odds more in my favor."

Beth wasn't relieved in the slightest. "So what did he say?"

"We're leaving for France, next flight out …" Mick's voice trailed off.

"What time?"

"Few hours."

Beth looked away. _Well, if this was potentially going to be the last time she saw him, she was going to have all of him dammit!_

Making a decision, she stood up slowly, pulling Mick to her. "Come here," she breathed, "I want you."

Mick needed no second invitation, he stood up and, grabbing Beth at the nape of her neck and taking a handful of hair, crushed his lips on hers hungrily. Beth pulled him closer as they explored each other's mouths; tongues touching, lips opening and closing – softly at first, then with more fervor as their passion reignited. He pulled Beth's head gently to the side, showering kisses down her neck, over her sweet jugular. She shivered in pleasure – as well as fear. _Danger is so close,_ she realized, _I could be dead in moments _… her strong excitement at the thought shocked her.

As if she weighed less than a feather, Mick swept her up into his arms and carried her to bed. Laying her gently down on the covers, he removed the bath robe she was wearing to reveal a white lace camisole and panties set. Starting from where he left off, he continued his kisses downward from her neck to her collarbone while gently tracing the outline of her hardening nipples with his left hand. Beth gasped as she tingled at his touch. He pulled a flimsy spaghetti strap down to reveal the soft skin of her shoulder, then further down to free a pert breast. He took the nipple in his mouth and took a long pull, flicking the tip lightly with his tongue in between sucks. He did the same with the other breast and then continued down her trembling belly with soft kisses. Opening her legs, he traced his tongue lightly on her inner thighs, blowing softly on the moisture he left until he raised goose bumps. Her pleasure center still covered by white panties, he ran his tongue lightly over the lace. Beth shivered.

Not even bothering to remove the tiny scrap of fabric, Mick simply pulled the crotch of her panties aside, revealing her very center to his loving gaze. He lightly caressed her trimmed hair, glad she hadn't succumbed to the latest trend to wax it off. He liked his women to look like women! Gently, he parted her lips and took a long taste of her, savoring her sweet salt. His flicking tongue found her nub and he felt it engorge with her pleasure as he slowly inserted a finger into her moist core. She groaned as he languidly swirled his finger inside her in ever-widening circles.

"Oh Mick," she breathed, "You know exactly what I need …"

He smiled in between tongue flicks – he could do this all night! He simultaneously increased the pressure both inside and out until he felt Beth writhe under his touch and her hips lift. He removed his finger and slid both hands up her thighs to her knees, lifting them until the tops of her thighs her pressed hard against her chest, her knees up near her shoulders, and her butt lifted slightly off the bed. The new position revealed even more of her to his gaze and he drank her in. Rocking her gently, he rubbed his tongue up and down her slit, faster and faster until Beth cried out and quivered with her first orgasm of the night. Giving her no quarter, he buried his mouth against her nub, sucking it hard as she shuddered in release again and again.

He finally freed her legs, and after savoring a moment of pure, post-orgasmic bliss she sat up. It was Mick's turn, and this time he's not going to hold back, she promised herself. Pushing Mick down on the bed she kissed him deeply, tasting herself on his lips. She ran her hands down his chest and up under his shirt, caressing his chest, lightly tugging his chest hair and tweaking his nipples. Back up at his mouth she kissed him harder before running her lips down his cheek to an ear lobe, which she softly nibbled.

Straddling him, she helped him off with his shirt before jumping off the bed and taking off his shoes and socks. With a wicked look she undid his jeans, kissing lower and lower as she unclasped each button slowly. The jeans soon joined the shoes on the floor. Mick, of course, went commando so there was never any underwear to bother with. She climbed back up the body of her lover and lay on him, chest to chest, exploring his mouth with her own, her hands on his cheeks.

"Don't hold back tonight Mick, I want all of you…" she breathed as she nuzzled his neck and ground her hips into his.

"What do you mean, you do have all of me, always!" Mick replied, confused.

Beth stopped and looked at him. "You know what I mean. I want you to let go with me …"

"But I might .."

"I know," she said softly, "But I want to feel you with me, fully and completely Mick. Please … I trust you." She went back to kissing his neck before working her way lower, lightly biting his chest before suckling his nipples, one, then the other. Still lower she went, tracing his light smattering of belly hair with her tongue before reaching his hard erection.

"I don't want to hurt you …" Mick mumbled and she licked his length like an ice cream.

_Hurt me? _Beth thought to herself. _If anything was going to hurt her it was the veritable battering ram of flesh that lived between his strong thighs! Compared to that, nothing could possibly scare her. The first time she had seen it, she almost ran from the room!_

She grabbed the object of her thoughts in a strong grip and moved her hand up and down while lightly licking the smooth, sensitive tip. Her fingers barely met each other around his girth as she pumped her hand up and down his shaft. She rubbed her tongue around the rim of his head as his breath caught in his throat in sweet delight. She blew on the wet tip before taking him in her mouth, sucking hard and moving her hand up and down once more, slow at first, then faster and faster as he moaned. She felt him harden and lengthen even further so slowed her pace ... she wanted this to last. Here, under her mouth and tongue, she was in control of Mick and it felt amazing! When his breathing slowed again she quickened her pace, once again helping him reach the edge, before slackening off and bringing him down off the precipice. She did then again, and then again, all the while watching Mick almost reach the point of release, only to have it yanked away cruelly.

She saw as he closed his eyes and clutched at the bedspread, brow furrowing as he fought for control of his body, trying his best to keep the animal inside him contained under her teasing touch. She watched him fight, and win, so she again took him in her mouth and down her throat, only to bring him to the edge and stop once more. He hissed, struggling to keep from turning on her in his pleasure and frustration. She saw him once again win control over his instincts, and in one swift movement she jumped up from between his legs and, with all her might, slapped him across the face. His eyes shot open in shock and anger.

"What …?" before he could get the sentence out she slapped him again, harder. Fury rising, he grabbed her wrists and forced her hands down to her sides. "What the hell?!" he shouted.

"I told you to give all of yourself to me!" Beth hissed through gritted teeth, "Or would you prefer to be in bed with Coraline?!"

The insult was the final blow, and before her angry gaze Mick's fangs extended as his eyes flashed silver. He roared. Lighting quick he spun and pinned her on the bed, face down, her lace underwear nothing more than shreds of fabric floating lightly to the floor. In one movement he rammed into her from behind, hard, and sunk his fangs into the soft spot where shoulder met neck. She screamed in fear … and sheer pleasure as she felt her blood flow into her lover.

Parting her legs roughly with his own, he rammed into her to the hilt, over and over again while savoring her hot blood. Then, before she was even aware he had moved, he had sprung back onto his knees, dragging her by the hair onto all fours as he thrust into her again and again. Just as her orgasm was rising again, he stopped.

"Two can play at this game," he snarled. He lifted her and tossed her onto the bed once more, this time on her back, as he wrenched her legs apart and buried his fangs in her folds. Sucking her blood from her most sensitive places his tongue found her nub and working it ruthlessly. Beth felt her orgasm build only to have it fade again as he stopped.

He growled as he removed his mouth from her center and got on his knees. Grabbing her hips he brought her to him and buried his member in her soft core. Her body half off the bed, her inner thighs bruising against his grinding hips, she wrapped her legs around him as her breasts jiggled at the sheer force of his thrusts. He fell on top of her as his thrusts became more urgent, and just as both of them reached a mutual peak, he sank his fangs into her breast and shook with the full force of a brutal orgasm. Beth screeched in delight as his release allowed him to reach new depths inside her and she arched her back as the most powerful orgasm of her life shot through her from toes to scalp.

They lay together for a moment and Mick felt his anger and fangs pull back. Terrified, he looked down at Beth for signs of life. "Please be ok .." he worriedly murmured through ragged breaths, searching out her pulse, heart in his throat.

Beth opened her eyes and smiled, her body still tingling as if she had suffered an electric shock. "I'm better than ok," she said softly through heaving breaths. "I finally had all of you. You're mine now …"

She fell into an exhausted yet contented sleep as Mick's tears of fear and joy fell softly on her cheek.

Later, as Beth still slept, Mick got up quietly, dressed and sat next to her perfect form on the bed. His eyes drank in the sight of her - she was beautiful, even while covered with sweat and blood. He leaned over and kissed her lips lingeringly. "You are my life's blood," he whispered. "My Beth .." Eventually, he tore himself away and walked out of her apartment for possibly the last time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Mick wandered into the dark Parisian nightclub, keeping his eyes peeled. The oppressive bass of the music thumped all around him, pounding its way through his body like a pulse. He pushed his way through the writhing crowd, resolutely ignoring the obvious interest from both men and women alike. Some interest was purely curiosity – Mick, while handsome and well dressed, was not quite flamboyant enough in his general clothing and demeanor to be a native. But as he was in a chic underground club frequented by only those in the know, his presence was an oddity. Other interest was, of course, entirely sexual and Mick did his best to deflect the advances of various ingénues, without offending or drawing too much attention. Despite himself, whenever he saw a blonde with a similar body-type to Beth, he searched her face desperately. He had been away from her for 4 days now, and it felt like several lifetimes.

This was the third nightclub he had visited tonight and while it was still relatively early in club land, he was already tired of the sights, sounds and smells. Closed quarters throbbing with people was like pseudo-torture to the unwilling vamp. Firstly, all the hot, intoxicated bodies rubbing against each other in a sexually charged atmosphere made the blood cravings almost too overwhelming to bear. Mick had not yet fixed on a 'cruelty free' blood supply in the French capital, so his vague hunger was becoming intolerable in the entwined mass. Secondly, and this was more important, the smell of thousands of people covered in sweat, alcohol, various bodily fluids, pheromones and illegal chemicals made detection of potential dangers almost impossible.

Mick hoped it was the latter which was causing him to miss the local vamps, because so far, he had not found any at all. Not that he could blame them for staying underground; this was for all intents and purposes, the vampire genocide capital of the world thanks to the revolution. When Joseph had called to say his contacts had indicated Paris as a likely abode for Lance, Mick had been pretty reticent to believe it. But when Logan had uncovered a large wire transfer from the Caymans to procure the hire of an ocean liner for the transport of four people and several large industrial freezers to France several weeks ago, well Mick was willing to go with it. But so far, the capital had been devoid of vampires. He knew this couldn't really be the case, but still, it seemed odd that he hadn't found any yet on this his third night in Paris. Clubs were usually the first place you looked for a local vamp population, the aforementioned intoxicated, horny human population making them easy hunting grounds for blood - as well as a buzz depending on what your victim had in their bloodstream. Back in their 70s and 80s heyday, Mick and Josef had cruised their fair share of clubs across the globe for just that purpose.

Mick leaned up against the long mahogany bar, unlike most clubs in Paris which started the evenings as restaurants, this was a newer venue dedicated to clubbing exclusively. He had only found out about the nameless location after a woman in the previous venue, The Queen near the Arc de Triumph, had whispered the address in Mick's ear in the hope he may accompany her here. He had declined politely, but made a note to check it out later. It was fortunate he had the address, as the club's entrance had turned out to be nothing more than a door in a wall guarded by two huge security personnel.

An attractive young woman sidled up to him at the bar, eyeing Mick while simultaneously grabbing the attention of a bartender.

"Can I buy you drink?" she asked in heavily accented English.

"No, thanks," Mick replied courteously. She ordered a champagne and turned back to Mick, frank appreciation lighting her face. She was attractive, Mick admitted to himself, more Joseph's type than his. She was tall and slim, her dark hair long and shiny and dark eyes flashed at him through heavy eye makeup. She was dressed in the latest fashion week offerings with a Hermes scarf looped around her neck and heavy jewelry on both wrists. The bartender produced her Crystal Champagne and she reached for it, Mick saw, without paying. She took a sip and absentmindedly scratched at the skin beneath the scarf. Mick felt his excitement rise as he noticed some partially healed tell-tale fang marks on her neck. Suddenly the need for a scarf and heavy wrist jewelry became clear … _A Parisian freshie._

"Au revoir," she said in a disappointed tone, eyeing Mick up and down appreciatively one last time.

Mick waited until she moved away a good distance and discretely followed. She weaved her way through the pulsing crowd expertly before ducking quickly behind a heavy red velvet curtain in a quiet corner. The movement was so fast, no-one but Mick saw her exit. Waiting a beat, he followed and found himself in a cool, concrete corridor stretching both left and right in front of him. The clicking of the freshie's retreating heels indicated she had gone left. He followed for several hundred feet as the sounds and smells of the club faded behind him.

The corridor ended with a black metal door, guarded by two burley men – _not vamps_, Mick decided after taking a whiff of the air – _but there are definitely vamps in the vicinity. _The security guards also boasted some faded fang marks around the neck but were not bothering to conceal them. They stared at Mick with hostility.

"Privé," one of them barked. Mick knew enough French to know what that meant – _private._

Not uttering a sound, Mick went with his gut and unsheathed his fangs while he eyes flashed to silver and then back again – _his vampire password._

Wordlessly, one of the guards pressed his thumb to a black LCD panel to the left of the door, which then clicked open. As the door banged shut behind him, Mick walked into the private VIP area. Almost immediately he was assaulted with the scent of vampire decay and blood - lots of blood.

The VIP area was like a scene out the seventh level of hell. Freshies in various states of undress and smeared with their own blood walked zombie-like around the dark, underground cavern. Windowless, the concrete walls were draped with more heavy red velvet, making the area look like a bloody tomb. Couples writhed together on gilded chaise lounges, vamps feeding gleefully on willing human victims. The scene made LA club look positively playschool-like, _Josef would be sorry he missed this!_

Other vamps and humans not partaking in the bloody decadence chatted in low voices while drinking top-shelf liquor and watching the various depraved displays around them.

Mick judged there to be around 20 vamps in the room, the perfect place to get a lead on the elusive vamp royalty he was seeking. Surely someone here would know where Lance and his brothers resided. He sauntered past the well-known DJ spinning tunes, making his way to the huge mahogany, glass and 24 carat gold bar.

"Scotch," he ordered of the human bartender, who nodded.

"No, Pierre, our special guest needs something altogether more top-shelf!" a sinister, yet familiar voice said behind Mick. "Raven!" he called, "Come here darling, our new friend needs some refreshment." A stunning blonde Mick recognized as a well-known supermodel walked up to Mick and bared her flawless wrist to him.

"I'm good, thanks," he declined politely. After seeing Beth's expression when he tested Simone's blood recently, Mick wouldn't be making that mistake again, despite his burning hunger.

"Disappointing," the voice replied. "This a celebration! After all, it's not every day one gets a visit from _family_ …"

Mick finally turned around to address the voice. "Lance," he acknowledged warily.

"_Brother_," Lance replied sarcastically." It seems I should have killed you when I had the chance back in LA. Never mind, I won't make that mistake again." Almost instantly and without a sound, some of the largest vampires he had ever seen surrounded Mick.

_Fuck_, he thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Without further ado, Mick was frog marched by his brother-in-law's security out a concealed exit and towards a waiting limousine. Once installed in the back of the luxurious black vehicle, Lance closed the partition between them and the driver and turned on the interior light. The light, combined with the heavily tinted windows and the night sky ensured Mick could not see where they were going. He figured this was no accident.

"What is it about my sister's charms that makes men lose all sense of self preservation?" Lance blithely commented, his jet black iris staring coldly at Mick. Not wanting or needing a response to his first question, he continued. "Jean," he directed at one of the burly vampires, "You've tasted my sister's talents only recently, did she make you want to walk into certain death?"

Jean laughed knowingly, the wicked cackle soon joined by a chorus of laughter from the rest of Lance's cohorts. "She is nice, your wife," he directed at Mick in broken English.

Mick tried his best to keep a lid on his temper. Coraline and him might be over, but he came from a time where men did not speak about another man's wife that way. He steadfastly ignored the jibes and tried to look out the window to see where they were headed.

After a few fruitless minutes, Mick's gaze was automatically drawn back to his brother-in-law. Malicious authority emanated from Lance's very core and Mick remembered how powerful this vampire was, both in presence and body. The last time they met in LA, Lance had thrown Mick across the room with one hand and jumped out a 50 storey building. _'With age comes power' _Josef once said and this was surely the case here. Mick wondered why he even needed security. _A vampire who could spontaneously heal after being burned surely needed no muscle men_.

"I'm sure my sister will be delighted to see you," Lance commented sarcastically after a moment. "And a man should enjoy one last night with his wife."

_So she's alive_, thought Mick. He estimated they had travelled a further 12 miles in silence before he felt the limo slow and turn, head steeply down and then stop. In short order, the driver was out and opening the heavy door for his boss, Mick recognized him as Lance's 'indentured servant' from their last meeting. The last one out, Mick stepped onto the dank concrete floor of a small parking garage. While the smooth concrete of the garage looked relatively new, the stone of the bare walls Mick could see looked old to the point of ancient, like they'd been cut by hand. _Where the hell am I?_ he wondered.

They walked through a stone tunnel, which also looked hewn by hand, for a few moments before entering a lavish parlor area. White Italian marble shot with jade and gold covered the floor, while sumptuous tapestries and gilded mirrors lined almost every inch of wall. The ceiling boasted a massive biblical scene and looked hand painted, but was curiously devoid of cracks and fading like similar artworks of the era. Checking his surrounds, Mick noticed there were no windows, so no natural light to fade the artwork. _We must be underground_, he decided. As they walked through the parlous, Mick was momentarily thrown when they appeared invisible in the large mirrors on the walls. _Antique mirrors were made with silver_, he remembered.

To the right of the room, Mick could hear muffled voices, the clinking of crystal and tinkling laughter. "We're having a celebration and your wife is our most special guest," Lance mocked. "She is very popular, her presence is always requested."

Mick headed towards the party, dread in his heart. Expecting a macabre scene similar to the club, Mick instead walked in on what looked like a medieval vampire tea party. Guests draped in wigs and finery sat in over stuffed chaises laughing and chatting animatedly while drinking various liquids from stunning glassware. More freshies dressed in low cut, ballooning gowns of white wandered between the vampires, occasionally stopping to offer their necks or wrists to the guests before pressing on. Gems dripped from necks and earlobes on both the men and women. Every corner of the room was stuffed with finery, antique furniture, sculptures, the finest wall hangings, damask wallpaper, high scalloped ceilings and hand painted murals. Coraline sat on a low silk love seat at the back of the huge ballroom wearing a lavish red dress similar in style to the one she was wearing when Mick first laid eyes on her. A little pale, she looked to be bored and had her eyes half closed. Mick started towards her, only to stop in horror as Lance beat him to her. Sitting beside his sister, he leered at Mick and put his arm around Coraline, lifted her wrist to his mouth and drank deeply.

Rushing over, Mick pushed Lance away roughly and gathered Coraline to him. "Coraline!" he shouted, trying to rouse her from her stupor. Not understanding, he shook her until her strange scent stopped him cold. He gasped - _she was human again and drained to the point of death._

Mick looked at Lance incredulously, tears in his eyes at the cruelty and contempt. "She's your sister!" he bellowed.

Lance's jet eye flashed angrily. "Over three hundred years ago, my siblings and I were given a precious gift from our uncle – the chance to live forever. This decision was not taken lightly, only a select few of the noble bloodline were deemed worthy. Despite this, Coraline has time and time again shown distain for this great gift and a lack of loyalty to this bloodline. So now her gift is forfeit," Lance sneered, wiping his mouth free of her blood. "The edict came from the highest level. Coraline knew the result of her actions and accepted her punishment."

"Highest level? What?" Mick blurted. For a vampire used to seeing some odd things, Mick's mind was boggling trying to understand what in the hell was going on.

"All orders come from the King of course," Lance stated, as if Mick were some kind of imbecile.

As if on cue, a herald in the corner of the room banged gold staff heavily on the marble floor, calling "Toute l'augmentation pour sa hauteur le roi!"

At once the chatter ceased and all occupants of the lavish room stood – the men bowing deeply at the waist, the women curtseying. A diminutive man wearing a grey wig, lace ruffles at his neck and royal robes of white fur stalked into the room. A ruby the size of an ostrich egg hung on gold from his neck. He coldly eyed Mick, who, still holding Coraline and a little dumbfounded was not even attempting to show him appropriate respect. Chatter in the room resumed exuberantly as Lance went to greet who Mick assumed was this so-called vampire King. They talked quietly while eyeing Mick the way a lion would eye a wildebeest before making it a meal.

A couple talking moved close to Mick. "Who is that guy?" Mick asked them as they came within earshot. Looking at each other, they rolled their eyes. "Américains!" one of them scoffed. "He is Louis, he is the King!"

The clues fell into place. _King Louis the freaking 16th? What the fuck?_ "Isn't he … I mean … wasn't he beheaded three centuries ago?" Mick continued, confused. The couple scoffed. "That was not Louis! That was one of the servants taking his place." The two vampires, clearly bored of this conversation with the American idiot, moved away.

Mick looked down at Coraline and again tried rousing her. "What kind of family did you drag me into?! Forget that, what _century_ am I in? If we get out of here alive, I'm going to kill you!" he whispered angrily.

Smoothly, Lance once again appeared at his side. "Follow me," he barked in the tone of a man who was used to having his orders followed without question. Mick considered his options – running for his life being a serious contender. But as the wall of vampire security once again materialized beside him and he held a wounded human, he thought better of it and followed.

Lance led them from the room and down a gilded hallway. Mick had never seen so much gold leaf in once place, tons of the stuff must have been used. Lance opened a heavy wooden door and ushered them into what looked like a bedroom. A huge red and silver canopied bed was the centerpiece of the room, heavy drapes hung from the tall bed frame which was surrounded by antique chairs and a wooden massive armoire. Still no windows, he noticed.

"You will both stay here," he said at the doorway as Mick gently placed the still unconscious Coraline on the bed. Judging by the various sets of healing fang marks on her neck and wrists, Coraline had been human for a while and repeatedly drained to near death, only to be allowed to recover so the torture could commence again.

"You gave her the compound again?" he shot at Lance.

"Actually, Coraline has been most helpful in developing a new, permanent compound," Lance mocked. Mick's heart leapt at the word. _Permanent._ "Coraline has been a wonderful subject on which to trial the various test mixtures. Thanks to her, our family will now be forever safe from another reign of terror, we will rule eternally without challenge!"

Lance stopped and shook his head in pity. "I did tell you brother, last time we met, that you really should have stayed out of this. You ought to have heeded my warning. Unfortunately, the King has decided your fates ..." he paused, "For the crimes of stealing the compound and siring you in our bloodline without permission you will both be guillotined imminently."

Lance left the room, shutting the door behind him with a final click. Mick knew security would be placed at the door so didn't even bother to check.

+

Later, as Coraline slept soundly on the bed, Mick paced back and forth on the rich, wool-covered floor, fingering the GPS node Logan had inserted under the skin of his forearm before they left LA. He desperately hoped the plan was still on track. While he tried to stop himself, he couldn't prevent his thoughts from straying towards Beth. _Would she ever know how much he loved her, how much of this journey was for her and their future together? And if this didn't go to plan – would she ever know what happened to him? _


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Beth was sitting at her desk in the DA's office trying to concentrate … and failing dismally. It had been four days since she last saw or heard from Mick, since she had last held him and felt his body on hers, their limbs and lips entwined. She felt his absence like a physical ache and it was making it almost impossible to do anything productive.

She was working on the disappearance of a teenage girl and dearly wanted to give the case her full attention. With her history, Talbot had given the case to her hoping she might have a breakthrough where others had failed. _I am sucking at this case and I am going to get fired_, Beth thought as she thumped her head down on her desk in defeat.

"Am I disturbing your nap time?" Talbot asked abruptly behind her.

Beth sprung up quickly and started typing some nonsense on her computer busily. "Ah, no! No. Just working hard …" Her lack of conviction sounded lame, even to her.

Talbot pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. "What's up Beth?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing!" Beth reassured him. "Just thinking about the case, it's a tough one." _Liar._

Talbot leaned back, evaluating his star investigator. She looked tired and distracted and more than a little upset. He bet he knew the reason why too - Mick St John. Something was up with that man and Talbot didn't trust him one iota.

"It's late," he eventually said. "Let's go and get some dinner."

For the first time in hours, Beth actually looked around the office – it was dark and devoid of anyone but her and Talbot. _When did that happen?_

"Food, Beth? You need to eat something today," Talbot insisted.

Beth weighed her options. _Home to a cold, lonely house with no food where she can continue to worry about Mick's lack of contact, or food with her boss who hopefully won't fire her? No brainer._

"Sure," she finally replied, "Nothing wrong with two colleagues getting a meal together, is there?"

"Colleagues. Yes, that's right. Nothing wrong with that," Talbot responded, almost sounding disappointed at Beth's clarification.

They left the office together and walked around the corner to a popular Italian Restaurant, getting a table near the back. The romantic atmosphere bothered Beth, but Talbot didn't seem to notice. She watched as he ordered some bread and two glasses of red wine from the waitress who nearly fell over herself to get his order. Beth smiled. She was objective enough to realize he was a good looking man, despite the fact that he never seemed to smile. He had turned more than a few heads as they walked into the restaurant. But her head and heart were filled only with Mick. _What is he doing? Is he ok? Why hasn't he called?_

"Where's Mick?" Talbot asked, fixing her with his steely blue gaze as if reading her mind.

Shocked, Beth frowned, _was she that transparent?_ "What do you mean?"

"Well," Talbot said, taking a sip of the wine which had just been placed in front of them, "He usually hangs around you like a bad smell, but I haven't seen him the last few days."

Beth wasn't sure what to say. "He had to leave town, something to take care of." _Conversation over._

But Talbot wouldn't be shaken that easily. "Oh? What?"

"He had a situation with his … ex." _Ok, that sounded bad._

"Oh. Girlfriend?"

"Wife." _Crap. Even worse._

Talbot smiled slightly as he took another sip of the house red. He didn't release her from his gaze for an instant. "I see. So, where is he?"

_My God!_ Beth thought, _he was like a dog with a bone!_ "France. Anyway, about the case … I'm not …"

"Where in France?" he interrupted.

"I'm not sure exactly … Anyway, the case …" she started, trying again to steer the topic of conversation away from Mick and avoid his stare.

Talbot was having none of it. "You don't know where he is? And he's with his ex-wife? Hasn't he called?"

"Yes, of course he has!" _Another lie. _Sweating, Beth took a sip of her wine, made a face and pushed it away. She was too tired for wine and clearly she needed her wits about her while dining with this man.

Of course, Talbot knew she was lying. "Well, I must say you are a very trusting girlfriend Beth," he said directly. "Not many women would let their boyfriends travel halfway across the globe with the ex without even calling. You're not drinking I see. Not pregnant are you?" He fired off questions like automatic gun fire.

"NO! Mick can't …" she stopped herself before finishing the sentence, anger rising. "I don't think that's any of your business!"

More satisfied smiles from Talbot. "You're right, it's not. So when did he get divorced?"

Beth sighed in defeat – _she could see why he was the DA!_ _If she were a criminal she would have totally confessed to something by now. _"He's not technically divorced, but …" suddenly she stopped. "But I guess you figured that already didn't you?"

Talbot smiled sympathetically, confident he got his point across. "Yeah, I suspected, just wanted to see if you did. But you're right – it's none of my business. Come on, let's eat, the food here's good."

Beth bolted down what really was a very good dinner and got out of there the second she could without causing too much offence. She stormed down the street to her apartment. _She was livid! And not with Talbot! After all, the man had a point! Several, in fact!_

_Just who did Mick St John think he was? Wandering off to God-knows-where to rescue his sexy ex-wife who was, actually, technically still his wife! And then not calling! Not so much as a text message saying _'Hey, sorry but I've decided to stay with my gorgeous vampire bride, have a nice life'. _Talbot was right! What the hell was she thinking?_

Reaching her apartment, she threw down her coat and bag and picked up the phone. Her first phone call was to the airlines. The second was for a car service. She threw some stuff in a carry-on and slammed the front door behind her as she left.

_If Mick thought he could treat her like this, he could go straight to hell!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Josef paced back and forth in his lavish Parisian hotel room, trying very hard not to lose his temper. "What do you mean you can't freaking find him?" he hissed into his cell.

"Uh … I lost the signal," Logan replied from 5,000 miles away in his basement. He had refused to leave with Mick and Josef, insisting he would be more helpful with his technology around him. But even at this distance, he was still scared of Josef. Initially, Logan had been excited at the prospect of working with the richest vampire in LA, but Logan just wanted to get back to Guitar Hero now. It was much simpler … and didn't involve him getting staked by a vengeful 400 year old. He was running every program he knew to try and locate Mick, absolutely nothing was working.

Josef growled. He knew Logan was a friend of Mick's, but he was about to have a very special place in the tar pits, the place reserved for those who really, really irritate him, if he didn't find Mick soon.

"Look, I'm sure it's a blip in the program, as soon as it comes back up, I'll call you," Logan said, hanging up and getting back to work before Josef had a chance to argue.

Josef slammed the phone shut. To say he was unhappy was a vast understatement. _The plan had been so simple … Mick splashes himself around Paris and flushes Lance out of hiding. Track Mick via GPS as Mick tracked Lance. Lance leads Mick to Coraline, Josef and Mick get Coraline out, Mick goes back to his doomed mortal romance with Beth, Josef goes back to hot sex and blood with anyone willing, Coraline makes some other poor bastard miserable. Simple right?_

_But, of course_, Josef thought, _as with all simple plans, something always comes along to completely fuck it up._ He was starting to wonder why he had agreed to this in the first place. He understood why Mick had to rescue Beth from the vampire plastic surgeon, and it ended up being kind of exhilarating. But Coraline? This was sliding into dangerous territory, they were messing with vamps that were not going to forgive or forget. Josef suddenly remembered why he was a lover, not a fighter.

Since they have come to Paris it had been one clusterfuck after another. Mick and Josef had split up to cover more area, but Mick had never returned and the GPS node had stopped working just as Mick seemed to be headed to the south-west of Paris. Josef had combed the last nightclub Mick was in and found nothing – no vampires at all, let alone any trace of Mick.

In sheer desperation, Josef had reached out to a friend of Coraline's – Cynthia Davis. Yet another aspect of the plan which had not gone well.

"I know you hate Mick, but she's your friend, Cynthia. Remember Coraline? I believe you two used to be tight?" Josef had suggested.

"You have no idea what you're messing with Josef. Coraline's family has its own rules, and there are always consequences for messing with them. Always," she had replied.

The fruitless conversation had ended with Josef vowing to track down Mick and Cynthia promising to 'see what she could find'. Even if Josef had breath, he wouldn't be holding it for that eventuality.

His restless, angry pacing was interrupted by a loud banging on the door. He sighed. _What now? An angry torch-baring mob? Flame throwers?_

He stalked over to the door and flung it open so hard it dented the wall behind it. _Oh shit. He would have preferred the mob._

"Beth," he said , forcing his voice to sound cheerful, "How lovely to see you, but if you don't mind, I am a little busy right now …"

"Shut up Josef – where is he?" Beth interrupted, barging into the room and proceeding to search around for Mick as if he might be under a bed or in a closet.

"I'm sorry – shut up? Did you just tell me, Josef Kostan, to shut up? I don't think anyone's even done that before... It's kind of liberating!" Josef said with a half smile. _He loved this girl!_

Beth stopped her search and stood in front of him, not in the least bit concerned that he was a vampire and about one thousand times stronger than her. "Is he … with her? He hasn't called and I have no idea where he is! Has he left me for Coraline? Where is he?! Tell me right now!"

Beth looked like she was about to blow an aneurysm. Josef sighed again, this hero thing was tiresome. "This is … awkward. And not in a good way."

Beth waited, temper rising by the second. She had had the entire flight over here to work herself up into a good lather. She was most definitely good and lathered.

"Mick's … missing."

"What do you mean, missing?"

"Missing … as in the opposite of found," Josef deadpanned. "We were tracking him via GPS but he's fallen off the radar," Josef continued matter-of-factly. He saw no point in sugar coating it. "Logan's trying to get a fix on the signal now, but it's not looking good, it's been hours."

Beth felt her heart fall into her shoes and all her anger drained away to be replaced by burning fear. Suddenly, Mick running off with Coraline was the preferred alternative. Anything was better than … _No! She wouldn't even let herself think it._

"Where was he last?" she said, snapping into investigation mode.

Josef led her over to black lacquered table, over which a map of Paris was spread.

"Here," he said, pointing to an area about 10 miles south-west of the centre of Paris. "Logan said he was moving quickly, he was in a car. The signal was strong one second and gone the next."

"Versailles," she muttered to herself. "Well, let's get go …"

Their next move was interrupted by yet another knock at the door. "Jesus! It's fucking Grand Central Station in here tonight!" Joseph said in exasperation as he walked to the door. He opened it to another shock. "Cynthia?"

"Josef," she acknowledged as she breezed in the door. "In here boys," she called behind her. She held open the door as about 10 young male vampires sporting the latest jeans, boots and leather piled into the room. Three of them were carrying large duffle bags over their shoulders.

"You've changed your mind about helping I see?"

"Woman's prerogative," she replied.

"And who are our new friends?" Josef inquired of Cynthia, an edge to his polite façade. Bringing rogue vampires to his hotel room was asking for an ass kicking.

"Revolutionaries," she replied easily, as if she were commenting on the weather.

Josef shook his head. "I'm sorry, I must have an ear wax problem, I thought you just said revolutionaries? Because that would be ridiculous wouldn't it? …"

"I did say revolutionaries. And you do have an earwax problem," Cynthia said snidely, a small smile playing around the corners of the her mouth.

Eyeing Beth, one of the men walked up to Cynthia and whispered in her ear. She nodded. "She's a human," Cynthia directed at Josef. "We don't need any human complications or witnesses. Understandably, my friends are keen to stay under the radar. If you could get rid of your midnight snack or hurry up and finish?"

Josef quickly covered Beth's mouth with his hand as she angrily started to correct Cynthia. "Ah, she's no snack," he interjected before she could say anything that would get her eaten. "This is Mick's … friend. She's down with the whole vampire thing."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Oh. So this is the other woman Coraline mentioned?" she asked. The question was directed at Josef but she eyed Beth coolly. Eventually she shrugged, directing her next comment to Beth. "I wouldn't get too comfortable with Mick if I were you. He and Coraline never could stay away from each other for long."

Fortunately, Beth's mouth was still covered. Josef turned her to face him. "We're not going to say anything _impolite_ are we? Because we recognize that we need as much help as we can get right now, _don't we?" _he emphasized through clenched teeth. Reluctantly, Beth nodded and Josef let her go. "If you wouldn't mind explaining the whole vampire revolutionary thing to me?" he asked of Cynthia.

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. The fight between the vampire nobility and the underclass didn't end with the reign of terror. It has been going on in the shadows away from human eyes for centuries. As with any vampire violence, obviously there have been accidental 'turnings' in that time. The fight is now vampire against vampire. Many have long memories and old battles continue. You've been living in LA too long Josef. There's a whole rest of the world out there you know."

"Thanks for the heads up," Josef retorted. "So they are going to help us get Mick back?"

One of the revolutionaries snorted.

"Yes, Josef," Cynthia replied sarcastically. "All these lovely men are going to risk their lives to get back some guy they've never met … They have their own agenda, obviously. It just happens to coincide with yours."

"Enlighten me," Josef said, ignoring the jibe.

One of the men, obviously the unofficially leader of the group, spoke up. "We are aware of the cure some of the nobility used to escape the reign of terror," he started, speaking with an startling English accent. "However, we suspect the cure has now been augmented to be made permanent."

Beth noticed Cynthia look away guiltily. The men obviously didn't know it was the initial research she did for Coraline which allowed Lance to achieve this.

"They plan on using this cure to rid Europe of all vampires not of their bloodline," the man continued. "They have been testing it in Paris, we have already lost comrades. We think it is ingestible and can be mixed with blood so unsuspecting vampires would not know until it was too late. If this is the case, this twisted family will rule, unchallenged, across Europe and will eventually re-emerge as the overlords of the human world, destroying anyone in their way, vampire or human. They do not see the need to keep our existence from the mortal world, they see themselves as rightful rulers and humans as their slaves."

Beth's blood ran cold.

"The time has come for us to move against them. If you manage to find your friend, good luck to you but that is not our priority."

Josef nodded. Any assistance, no matter how creepy, would be fine. "We can only assume Mick is with Lance. Now we just need to find them."

The leader nodded. "Where was he last?"

"Heading to Versailles."

Beth thought for a moment. "The palace!" she blurted. "He's at the palace!"

Cynthia looked at Beth as if she were a small, stupid child. "Silly human girl!" she scolded patronizingly. "The palace is now a museum and has been deserted for centuries. It would be fairly obvious if a family of vampires were living there!" Some of the men sniggered.

"Not IN it. UNDER it," Beth replied with infinite patience considering the circumstances. "Think about it! It is well known that King Louis the fifteenth and sixteenth undertook extensive renovations of the palace …" the revolutionaries hissed at the names. Beth continued, undeterred. "But little seemed to change the exterior of the castle towards the end, in fact much of it went unfinished despite massive amounts of crown money being utilized. What if they were excavating UNDER the palace? Would there be a more perfect place for vampire nobility to reside, out of the sunlight? The fact that there were secret passageways is well documented, after all, Marie Antoinette escaped rev … ah, people, through one in her bed chamber!"

Her vampire audience looked unconvinced.

"When the nobility was disbanded during the reign of terror, the artworks and furnishing of various palaces were sold off to cover France's huge foreign debts or kept in the eventual museum, but hundreds of well-known pieces were never found, along with many of the King's loyal subjects and family members! And if it were deep enough underground, Mick's GPS tracker wouldn't work would it?"

"Let's roll," Josef said, heading to the door.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The leader of the vampire revolutionaries joined Josef, Cynthia and Beth in Josef's midnight blue town car, while the rest of the men piled into a black van. Josef's driver lead the way as they formed a darkly sinister, and somewhat conspicuous, convoy.

The quartet in the town car rode in silence, each lost in his or her own thoughts as pre-dawn Paris whizzed by. Beth studied the revolutionary sharing their car. He had shoulder-length dark hair, heavy features, large, dark eyes and looked to be seriously muscular under his faded denim jeans, black t-shirt and scarred leather jacket. A few minutes into the journey, the strange vampire unzipped his huge plain brown duffel bag to reveal a veritable arsenal of vampire weaponry. He busied himself cleaning, checking and rechecking silver knives, throwing stars, stakes, various handguns and shotguns housing silver bullets. He even seemed to have a personal flame thrower.

"Impressive," Josef commented. "Planning on singlehandedly invading a small country after this? Say, China?"

He glared at Joseph with his haunted brown eyes. "Joke all you want funny man, but this is not going to be easy. This twisted family is well guarded and well armed," he said in his dead voice while continuing to check his weapons. As he went about his business he accidently nicked his inner wrist on a silver blade, then watched in disgust as it healed. Beth figured he hated what he was possibly even more than Mick did.

"I'm assuming you don't have any hardware hidden under that expensive wool suit and tie?" he barked at Josef.

Josef made a show of patting himself down. "This is so embarrassing, but I seem to have left my rocket launcher in my other pants," he quipped.

The man snorted and selected a few weapons from the bag, giving Josef a hand gun, an extra clip and a sharp silver knife. He then paused for a moment, contemplating Cynthia and Beth, before handing them a shiny silver stake each. Beth weighed the weapon in her hands, the antique piece was very heavy and had an ornate silver handle dotted with rubies. In any other circumstance she would have thought it was beautiful. She wondered if she would be able to use it. _If it was needed to save Mick, she could do anything,_ she decided.

"You have twelve rounds in each clip, use it wisely. You cannot rely on your age and strength only in this fight my friend," the vampire said, addressing Josef.

Josef looked like he was about to make another snide remark, but seemed to think better of it. "Thanks, ah .." he searched his memory for a name.

"Yves."

"Thanks Yves."

Yves nodded. "The stakes will not kill," he continued, addressing Beth and Cynthia. "But they will slow any vampire down long enough to escape. After you use it, I suggest running."

Beth and Cynthia nodded solemnly.

"Beth won't be needing it, as she'll be staying the car, won't you?" Josef said tightly.

"No!" Beth said, angry momentarily replacing fear. "I came all this way to find Mick, not sit in a car! Why do men always ask me to sit in cars?!"

"And I'm not finding Mick only to have him rip my head off with his bare hands because I put you in mortal danger!" Josef retorted.

"It's her decision, Josef," Cynthia interjected. "If she wants to become dinner for some insane vampires, that's her right."

"Your concern for women's rights is touching, Cynthia, but I feel you have a hidden agenda. I'm sure Coraline would like nothing more than to have her rival for Mick's affections eliminated …" Josef said scornfully.

"Please, she's in more danger in this car with you and a loaded weapon! Do you even know how to use that thing?"

"I don't know, let's test it now shall we?" he said, aiming the weapon at Cynthia and clicking off the safety in one smooth, practiced motion.

"Give it your best shot Josef. Oh, by the way, the trigger is that little metal thingy on the handle …"

Beth rolled her eyes. If there was a sarcasm Olympics, these two would be in medal contention. "Hey!" she said loudly, interrupting their war of words, "If you two could do us all a favor and make a note to have angry vampire hate sex later, so we can all get back to the job at hand?"

Temporarily stung, Josef and Cynthia clamped their mouths shut and Yves, still cleaning his weapons, smiled. "Bravo, human girl," he said softly.

#

Mick watched Coraline sleep on the lavish bed, her chest rising and falling with her breathing, her fragile new humanity never more clearly on display. Despite recently being near death, she was still the achingly beautiful woman he had fallen in love with half a century ago and he reminisced on their long history together.

She had not yet regained consciousness, but her wan cheeks now bloomed with light color, so Mick felt confident she would pull through, which was a pointless thought considering her soon-to-be fate. He estimated they had been in the guarded bedroom for several hours, making the time close to dawn.

An hour ago, one of Lance's goons had brought Mick a tall glass of blood from some unwitting victim and it sat, untouched and congealing, on one of the ornate bedside tables. He thought it an odd gesture, seeing they seemed determined to separate him from his head shortly. But he was ravenous, and despite his best efforts it was starting to look appetizing.

Mick had zero ideas on how to get out of this - his latest interesting predicament. Even if he could get past the guards at the door, there were many more vampires, not to mention Lance and his brothers, outside. Were it just him, he would have risked it, but with a frail human …

Finally giving in to his hunger, Mick picked up the warm glass and brought it to his lips, _just a small sip and he might be able to concentrate on getting them out of here._

"Mick! No!" Coraline shouted, awake, springing off the bed in a surprising display of agility and swiping the glass out of his hand.

Mick sighed and raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"It might contain the cure, and you also being human won't help us right now," she explained, carefully putting the glass down well away from him.

"The cure? That has to go in an open wound like last time doesn't it? …"

"Not any more. My brother's chemists perfected the cloning of the organic ingredient, it can now be taken orally, in blood. And … it's permanent," she whispered, burying her head in his chest.

Mick nodded, touching her face and soaking in her beautiful mortality. "I know."

"But you don't know why …" Coraline explained the depraved plan to eliminate vampire across Europe and to retake rule over humans. Mick sat on the edge of the bed as he listened, his mind ticking over – _suddenly the stakes were much higher. It wasn't just about escaping their own fates anymore_. Coraline moved, sitting behind Mick on the bed, her legs straddling his over the edge as she pressed her chest into his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she breathed, nuzzling his neck. "Thank you for coming to get me … you have no idea what it means to me, to _US_." She shifted her weight, spinning around and sliding onto his lap and pulling him close, her lips seeking his. As if acting of its own accord, Mick felt his body respond to her familiar, expert touch. Their kisses became fevered before Mick abruptly stopped himself, gently pushing her away. "No Coraline," he breathed, standing up and moving away from her.

"But, I thought … you came to get me?" Coraline asked, hurt and confused.

"I came to get you, but not for that reason," he explained. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea."

Coraline smiled knowingly, deep pain in her expression. Despite her best efforts the last time she had been in LA she had felt Mick moving away from her – towards someone else. "It's her isn't it? Beth?"

Mick looked away, the exquisite agony on her face was heartbreaking. He felt tears rise at the thought of the long history he and this woman shared. _The love, the passion, the betrayal, the rage. And now the end. _"Yes," he eventually said. "I love her. I'm sorry," he repeated.

Coraline nodded as tears traced their way lightly down her smooth cheeks. "But you came for me anyway?"

"I came for you, I couldn't leave you to die here. But I also came for Beth." Coraline clearly didn't understand so he continued. "I want to marry her …"

"But you're still married to me…" Coraline breathed.

Mick nodded as comprehension dawned on her face.

"Oh. You want … a divorce." She understood, it wasn't a question. "Just change your name, like always, and get married. You don't need me. We married over half a century ago."

Mick finally turned to face the woman he spent the last fifty-five years both loving and hating. "I want to do this properly. This time, it will be right from the start. No secrets, no lies. Just Beth and me for as long as we have each other. I need to do this right."

"It won't work - she a human, you a vampire. That's why I turned you on our wedding night. So we could be together on equal terms," Coraline argued. "Is she willing to become one of us?" Coraline clearly didn't see herself as human again.

"Even if she was, I would never, _could never_, turn her. I will take her, if she'll have me, as she is, for as long as she lives. You said that maybe love can't exist without mortality. But maybe it can. I intend to find out." He stopped, getting a hold of his emotions, his deep love for another woman etched clearly on his features. "She has made me stop hating myself and what I am. She has made me want to live again."

They sat in the silence together, soaking in the enormity of the moment. Given the fervor of their relationship, it was a peaceful ending. She was a smart woman and she knew when to stop fighting.

"Well," Coraline said lightly, trying to cover her pain. "As soon as we get out of here I'll have to get you a wedding present!"

Mick appreciated her effort. "No toasters!" he joked. "Now, let's get out of here before we lose our heads."

Coraline nodded and got up off the bed. "Well, we have the element of surprise – they think you're human by now …"

Mick felt the beginnings of a plan forming. He ripped the feathered coverlet off the luxurious mattress and wrapped it around two of the antique wooden chairs by the canopied bed. Using his heavy boots, he crushed the chairs underfoot, the coverlet masking the sound of splitting wood from the guards. By the time he had finished, he had a pile of wooden stakes at his feet. He handed some to Coraline and tucked as many as he could into his boots, jacket and jeans.

He looked around the large room to see what else he could find, turning back to Coraline to get her help, and stopping short. She was drinking the blood from the glass. "What the hell?"

Coraline grimaced. "Doesn't taste so good when you're human."

"No shit – and why are you doing that?"

"Just a theory I'm working on … I'm wondering if the cure can be introduced to a vampire through a human's bloodstream …" she shrugged, finishing the glass and trying not to retch. "Might come in handy if so."

Mick thought she had taken leave of her sanity, but nodded anyway. Suddenly, muffled booms shook the underground compound and dust drifted down from the elaborate ceiling from the force of the blasts. Mick smiled – _Josef!_

"Now's the time," he said to Coraline. With his ex-wife shielded behind him, Mick kicked open the door. The guards, distracted by the explosions and screams of scared freshies and vampire alike, never saw Mick coming. Moving in a blur, Mick threw a side kick at one guard while staking the other in the chest. Before the first guard had a chance to recover from the devastating blow, Mick staked him too.

He turned to Coraline, only to find her fleeing up the corridor away from him. "Coraline! Wait!" he called. She disappeared around a corner without looking back.

Making a decision, Mick ran the other way, determined to end this fight once and for all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Josef may have been many things, not all of them complimentary, but stupid wasn't one of them. _He wasn't some kind of vampire Rambo – he liked blood, money and sexy ladies, not always in that order. Guns and violence – not so much. _He had already nearly been killed this year, and the experience had been unpleasant. _And yet here he was, holding a gun no less, walking through a smoky, rubble filled underground cavern waiting to slaughter or be slaughtered. He was going to have a serious discussion with Mick should they both live through this, this was not his idea of a fun excursion. This was the kind of nonsense he generally paid people to do._

He held Beth behind his body with one hand, while he held the gun in front of him steadily with the other as they made their way through the chaos. If she had been any other human woman and not Mick's lady, he would have knocked her out and left her in the car without so much as blinking. He was still seriously considering that option.

Things had happened swiftly following their arrival at the palace. Rather than bothering to find any annoying secret passageways, which would have taken up valuable time, they simply blew holes in the manicured grounds of the palace with the C4 they had pulled from the magic duffels, until they hit underground paydirt. They kept pulling an alarming amount of weaponry from those bags, to the point where if they had produced a nuclear weapon from one, Josef would not have been in the least bit surprised. Following the explosions, they had split the weapons between them and jumped into the fray with an eagerness that was both alarming and dim-witted.

Cynthia had followed and disappeared, no doubt in pursuit of Coraline, leaving him and Beth standing in the stunning surrounds. Beth had, of course, moved to jump straight into the mix clutching her silver knife just like a mortal who has zero concept of what she was getting into.

The dust cloud was slowly clearing and Josef could see they were in a huge ballroom, or what was left of it anyway. The bloody bodies of several vampires dressed in finery lay headless, like broken 18th century china dolls, scattered among the remains of silk covered furniture and shattered glass. Obviously, the revolutionaries had run through the underground palace like a lethal vampire tsunami. The blasts had caught their quarry by surprise – and in a few ferocious minutes they had ruthlessly cut down anything left standing, literally laying waste to the huge space. Small fires burned throughout the room as ancient cloth and wood combusted and vampire limbs turned to ash as the flames spread to bodies. Now, the clang of metal on metal, the roaring blasts of gunfire in enclosed spaces and the primal howls of vampires caught in life or death struggles filled the rooms up ahead.

Both Josef and Beth searched the faces of the dead, simultaneously hoping to see the face of Lance while dreading the realization that one of them could easily be Mick. Josef had given the revolutionaries a description of Mick, but they were so filled with red hot rage and the need for vengeance, he doubted anything would stop them on their murderous spree.

He led them out of the rubble-filled room, Beth still pressed close behind him. Sneaking around a corner they smacked headlong into two fleeing vampires. One of the men, wig askew, was wearing white and gold pantaloons which ballooned to his knees and white stockings. His shoes were black slip on with a single huge silver buckle on each. Ruffles, smeared with blood, surrounded his throat. The other, in more modern clothing, was clearly some kind of bodyguard. So determined to flee from their unknown foes, the medieval vampires barreled into Josef and Beth, sending them all crashing to the ground in a tangle of mortal and immortal limbs. Finding himself amidst unfamiliar people, the noble vampire made a grab for Beth, snapping at her throat. Instantly Josef sprung up and, using every ounce of his 400 year old strength, picked up the fallen vampire and literally flung him off Beth into a nearby games room. The vampire flew fifty feet with the sheer strength of Josef's toss and landed heavily on a felted billiards table, smashing the weighty slate to smithereens. Helpless against Josef's age-old strength, the guard soon followed his charge sailing through the air, and Josef rushed in after them. "Beth, run!" he snarled while stalking his stunned prey.

Beth picked herself up and watched bewildered as Josef grabbed a wooden pool cue and snapped it in half with his bare hands. He ploughed it through the chest of the noble vampire, which exploded in blood and gore at the sheer force of the blow. Unsheathing his silver knife, Josef advanced on the guard, growling, disappearing from Beth's view. All alone in the corridor now, the snarls and hisses of vampires locked in mortal combat around her made the hair on her body stand up on end. _I may have bitten off slightly more than I can handle,_ she admitted in defeat. Looking down, she saw Josef's gun lying on the ground – he must have dropped it following the collision. Picking it up, she pressed herself up against the wall like she was trying to disappear into it and slowly made her way forward, attempting to steady her heart which was hammering against her ribs as if trying to escape her chest.

Reaching the end of the smoky hall, she reached a set of large white double doors inlaid with gold. Pushing them open she slid into what must have been a massive vampire bedchamber, but now looked like it had been hit by an earthquake. Instead of a bed, the remains of a huge gilded industrial-sized freezer took pride of place on a smashed golden pedestal. It was surrounded by shredded fabric which was once an exquisite embroidered red canopy held back by gold rope. On the floor surrounding the main pedestal were shattered smaller freezers, big enough only for one vampire. Thankfully, they were all empty, as the rest of the room appeared to be. Several small fires burned on the carpeting, consuming broken furniture and ripped tapestries. Despite the cloying smoke from the blazes, Beth moved around behind one of the doors, pushing it closed in relief. Breathing for the first time in what felt like several minutes, she leaned again a wooden armoire, trying the figure out what to do next to get out of the fight alive. Just as she was catching her breath, the doors beside her rattled. She quickly slipped into the huge armoire, hoping the smells of the battle and smoke around her would mask her scent from any unfriendly vampire.

Peeking out from the slit between the closed doors, Beth saw a tall brunette rush into the room. _Coraline!_ Beth's heart leapt, she could only pray that Mick was alive and not too far away. Coraline looked around, her eyes sliding right past Beth's hiding spot. Once she was satisfied she was alone, she rushed to a small wooden chest of drawers in a dark corner of the room. Beth recognized it as Louie the 16th's famous Butterfly Cabinet, an exact match to one currently on display in the palace museum. The oak frame with a veneer of mahogany had ten drawers featuring gilded bronze, inlaid with wax covered bird and butterfly wings. While originally designed to hold gold coins, it was known to be the place where the King kept his collection of natural science specimens and exotic organics.

Working swiftly, Coraline opened one of the right-hand drawers, and pulling it all the way out, and reached behind it. Beth heard a click and Coraline pulled out a small metal box and held it in her palm.

#

Once free of the makeshift prison, Mick headed straight for the underground parking garage, fairly certain in the knowledge that one or all of the royals would try to get their King and themselves out of the line of fire. Mick had no idea how Josef had pulled off the explosions or where he was now, but he was super impressed. Armed only with his wooden stakes, he rushed to the cars only to find them unoccupied and unmoving. Mick's instincts kicked in and he flashed to vamp as he detected the scent of an unfamiliar close by. He growled and couched down in a defensive posture as a heavily muscular vampire in jeans and a leather jacket sprung up from under one of the vehicles. In a heartbeat he had a gun drawn and aimed at Mick's head. He slowly clicked the safety off, his silver eyes flashing.

Eyeing Mick curiously for a few tense moments, the vampire eventually lowered the weapon, clicked the safety on and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. "You are the one they call Mick St John?" he roughly questioned in his English accent. Mick nodded, still gripping a stake in his hand tightly. "Then you might want to get down," the vampire continued, as he leapt out of the way in one powerful movement and rolled behind a rocky outcrop near the rear wall of the garage. Mick paused only for a moment and followed. A split second later all three vehicles in the garage, including the limo Mick had arrived in, exploded into hot, twisted metal and flames.

"Now, no -one can escape ... I'm Yves," the vampire said matter-of-factly as he stood up, watching the fireballs. "My men and I are with your friends." Yves seemed to think Mick required no further explanation and, handing Mick a wicked-looking curved silver blade with a leather handle that he fished out of his jacket, disappeared from the room in a blur.

Mick, pleased to have a weapon that wouldn't just leave an enemy with a bad splinter, headed back into the underground compound, through the parlor and straight down the long corridor adorned with the portraits of vampire and human nobility. As he rushed past the room which was his and Coraline's prison, one of the guards he had previously staked threw himself at Mick in a blind rage. Momentarily caught off guard, Mick slammed into the opposite wall and fell to the ground, the guard leapt on top of Mick brandishing a silver blade and slashed towards Mick's exposed throat. Mick thrust his arms forward in defense, catching the killer blow with his forearms. The silver bit deep, sizzling with pain. Mick grimaced. The guard, still atop of Mick, pushed down with all his might, willing the blade to within millimeters of Mick's neck while Mick, slick with his own blood, strained to force it back. The guard, grinning evilly, switched his grip on his blade and Mick used the momentary weight shift to throw him back and off. Both springing up in smooth motions, Mick grabbed his new weapon, the silver blade glinting in the growing firelight. They crouched low, circling, each looking for an opening as they slashed back and forth with their respective razor-sharp blades - Mick's curved and long and the guard's glowing red with Mick's blood. Irate, the guard slashed wildly, coming to within inches of Mick's chest with the knife. Thrown for a moment, the guard struggled to regain his footing and Mick rushed forward, bring his blade around in a wide arc across his foe's throat. Blood burst from the cut in an explosion of crimson, splattering the walls and ceiling. Still alive, the guard clutched at his throat as Mick brought the blade down again, finishing the job and severing the guards head. The body dropped heavily to the ground as Mick wiped the blood from his face and eyes.

Ignoring several fights in other rooms Mick continued down the hall before reaching a pair of huge whitewashed wooden doors. The heavy doors were etched, with gold inlay, and were slightly ajar. Pushing them open he cautiously walked into what he assumed was the King's bedchamber, smelling the smoky air for what lay ahead. He hoped the chamber would hold Lance or the cure, preferably both.

What lay ahead was not what he expected – he smelled two familiar human scents - but pushed one aside as not possible. The other scent was more clear. "Coraline?" he directed at the figure crouched in the corner of the room by a low chest.

"Mick," she breathed, rushing over to him and hugging him close. "Thank God!"

"What are you still doing here? I thought you escaped!"

"Not without this …" she replied, holding out her hand. On her palm rested the small metal puzzle box Mick recognized as containing the cure. She quickly closed her hand around the compound and tucked it into the bodice of her deep red gown, as if daring him to reach for it. "I came to get this for you! Don't you see Mick? Now things can be the way they were meant to be!"

"What?" Mick asked, confused and more than a little concerned that the once lavish room could soon easily be engulfed in flames and filled with dueling vampires of both sides.

"Come with me! I have the cure, we can live out our lives together, as humans! Come with me and the cure can be yours!" Coraline cried desperately, trying to tug him towards the doors.

Mick stared for a moment, stunned and rooted to the spot.

"I risked my life to get this for you, to make up for what I did! I took your life – now I'm giving it back!" Coraline pleaded frantically.

"Coraline … I don't love you! I love Beth!"

"No, Mick, don't you see? We were meant to be! We couldn't be together because of my mistake, but now we can! The way it should have been from the start! Two mortals, in love for the rest of their lives! Come with me and the life we wanted can be ours!" She clutched at his chest with her hands, trying to pull his mouth down to hers. "I love you! I love you so much …" she sighed, clutching him close.

Mick wanted the cure so badly he could taste it. Instead, he gently tried to extract himself from her embrace. "No, Coraline."

Coraline reeled back in anger, grabbing the box from her gown and cradling it in her hand before pushing herself way from Mick and dangling it over a fire burning torn tapestry on the floor. "Leave me, Mick, and the cure goes with me. You'll never see it or me again …" she threatened, moving to throw the cure in the blaze.

At that moment, three things happened at once. Unable to contain her burning emotions, Beth burst out of the oversized armoire. Mick gaped in shock as he saw her, not believing his eyes. "Beth!"

Simultaneously, a hidden door to the right of the King's freezer pedestal flung open and Lance hurried forward toward the butterfly cabinet. Suddenly seeing Mick standing in the room with a weapon, he grabbed Beth and used her as a human shield, holding her body between him and Mick. Mick roared, rushing towards him, silver knife raised. Placing a cold, dead hand around Beth's neck, Lance squeezed until she was choking for breath. "One step closer, St John, and I snap her neck like a twig," he said in his icily calm voice.

Coraline immediately fled from the room, her gown streaming out behind her like a bloody trail, taking Mick's only chance at a normal life with her.

"My my. What an interesting predicament," Lance sneered. "Whatever will you do? Try to rescue this very tasty morsel, or escape to chase after my sister and the cure to your hated condition? Go on, go after your wife, I won't stop you…"

In Mick's mind, there was no contest – the cure was nothing compared to Beth. He'd rather live a lifetime hating what he was than a single moment without her. "Let her go Lance, I won't stop you from escaping," Mick said, placing the knife carefully on the floor and raising his hands to show he was unarmed.

"Interesting choice. Then again," Lance mocked, running his tongue along Beth's neck, "She is very tasty … Maybe I ought to just sample what you hold so dear." Pulling Beth's head to the side, he bared his fangs and prepared to sink them into her soft, pale flesh.

"NO!" Mick screamed, helpless. He lunged for the knife. Beth, almost unconscious from Lance's choking hold, gazed at Mick calmly as she reached into her coat and pulled out the small caliber handgun. Twisting it around herself she tucked the gun under her opposite arm, and, aiming at Lance behind her, pulled the trigger.

Lance reeled back at the stinging silver shot lodged in his flesh, hissing, and momentarily loosened his grip on Beth. It was all the opening Mick needed, he snatched Beth from the killer's grasp, lashing out at Lance with the knife and leaving a thin streak of blood blooming across his chest where the blade sliced through clothes and skin. Mick crushed Beth to him in relief, neither of them caring as Lance stumbled out the double doors nursing his wounds. "We'll meet again, Mick St John," he snarled as he disappeared out the door.

Mick ran his hand from her face and down her body, as if to check she was really there. Once he had established Beth was ok, he got mad. "What the hell are you doing here? Are you insane!?"

Beth opened her mouth to speak, but Mick cut her off. "Josef! I'm going to kill him!"

"It's not his fault, I made him bring me …"

"You, the five foot four human made a four hundred year old vampire bring you?" he questioned in disbelief and more than a little anger.

"I can be persuasive," Beth smiled weakly.

"No kidding … Thank God you're ok," he breathed, cradling her body and kissing her soft lips over and over in sheer relief.

"Does this really seem like the right time to get it on?" a sardonic voice said from the door.

Mick spun around, immediately on the defensive. "Josef!"

"In the flesh – albeit a little bruised and beaten." Despite his comment, Josef looked immaculate as always. His tie was still tightly knotted and his suit had barely a stain.

Mick glared at his best friend. "How could you bring her here?" he shouted.

"I'm sure what you meant to say was 'thank you, Josef, for mounting such an awesome rescue effort for little old me, I am eternally grateful'. I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking," Josef said sarcastically.

Mick glowered.

"I just handed out a few ass kickings. In fact, I think I just killed one of Lance's brothers, so really, it was a royal ass kicking," Josef continued, quite chuffed.

Yves rushed into the room, weapons raised, before lowering them when he realized he was among friends. "The King has escaped!"

Mick nodded towards the secret door from which Lance had just arrived. "I'm sure you can follow him through there." Almost without pausing, Yves disappeared down the passageway.

Still angry, Mick thrust Beth at Josef. "Take her safely out of here. Now," he growled.

Josef nodded, taking Beth's arm. In Mick's present mood, it was best not to argue.

"Where the hell are you going?" Beth squawked at Mick, panic rising.

"Lance," Mick replied in a resolute tone. "He'll never leave us alone if I don't end this …" He touched her face. "I love you," he whispered.

Beth watched, heart in her mouth, as Mick slipped out the doors and back into the fray.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Mick cautiously eased out the double doors and back into the smoky corridor, feeling his heart stretch then snap painfully as he bodily moved away from Beth. The sounds of fighting were dying down as Mick carefully checked each room for signs of Lance. The headless bodies of vampires lay scattered throughout the compound and the revolutionaries left standing were setting the bodies and rooms ablaze with flame throwers and accelerant to keep any incriminating evidence away from human eyes.

It had been a complete rout. While the nobility were numerous and well protected, the heavily armed revolutionaries were highly motivated and the surprise ambush well executed. They had lost some comrades, but it had been slightly more than an hour and the fight was almost over. Mick checked a grand dining room, which now contained a makeshift pyre at its center. The vast oak table and silk-covered chairs would have easily seated fifty in comfort and, overhead, a huge crystal chandelier glinted in the firelight. In the far end of the room, two revolutionaries cornered a noble, bewigged vampire who hissed ineffectually at his stalkers, fangs bared. In moments they had dispatched him without mercy and his body was thrown onto the growing bonfire with the rest.

The network of rooms in the compound was extensive. By no means was it as massive as the above ground palace, which boasted some 700 rooms, but the underground network was certainly huge enough and just as sumptuous. Mick estimated there were around 40 rooms all together, most of which were larger than his entire penthouse. The once lavish and well-appointed opulence was now blood spattered and smoldering, and the smell of blood and death permeated where perfume and incense once pervaded. Priceless antiques were swiftly consumed by flames and vampire corpses instantly turned to ash at the first touch of fire. Mick watched in interest as the bodies of what must have been the noble bloodline took longer to burn – not instantly turning to ash but combusting slower and hotter due to their unique ability to resist fire. Regardless of their immunity to fire, they were not immune to being beheaded – the revolutionaries had obviously been well informed, as not an enemy's head remained attached throughout the compound.

Mick continued to comb each room, taking care to search for more secret passageways in the process, but he was unable to detect Lance's scent in the fetid atmosphere. Back in the ballroom now, Mick started to lose hope at finding his foe. He was beyond anxious as he had no doubt Lance would make good on his threat to find Mick again and make him pay. As long as Lance was alive, neither Mick or anyone he cared about was safe. _Including Beth. Lance had the means, and he had the malice._

Mick carefully walked through the ballroom, avoiding the sightless gazes of the dead. Bending down, he stroked the cold cheek of a beautiful woman in white - not even freshies had escaped the extermination - and Mick was horrified at the macabre scene. Suddenly, as if from his very soul, a bloodcurdling scream disturbed the tomb-like atmosphere.

Mick shot up – _the garage!_

He almost flew the sixty feet to the concrete area and the remains of the three still-burning vehicles. A woman screamed again.

In the far right corner, Coraline flung herself at Lance, scratching and clawing desperately at the hand he had encircled around Cynthia's throat.

"Lance, NO!" she shrieked.

Cynthia, even in full vampire mode, was as effective as a small kitten against Lance's vastly superior strength. He smiled chillingly, and in one small motion, flung Coraline like a ragdoll across the car park with his free hand. She landed heavily on the cold floor and lay still. Turning back to Cynthia now, he snatched the silver stake Yves had given her and, without a second thought, rammed it into her chest to the hilt. She, too, dropped and lay still. Unsheathing a dagger, Lance stood over the prone form of Cynthia and brought the blade to her neck.

Mick's rage roared up inside him. Fangs descended, his eyes flashed. He rushed at Lance, knocking the dagger from his grasp before he could finish off the prone Cynthia. Lance laughed at the challenge. Now fully healed from his silver wounds, he easily deflected Mick's well-aimed kicks, flinging Mick from him as if he were no more than an insect. Leaping up, Mick spun around with a round house kick, connecting with Lance's jaw, rocking Lance's head back. He followed up the blow with a deadly slice with his curved blade but caught only air as Lance slid easily out of harm's way.

Lance, in turn, whipped Mick off his feet with a single back-hand blow to the face. The world shifted crazily as Mick landed, back first, on hard concrete. Lance advanced, placing his foot on Mick's throat and pushing down with all his might. Mick, seeing stars, grabbed Lance's foot and strained, lifting it off an inch and gaining himself some purchase. He strained further and pushed Lance off, jumping back onto his feet in a light motion. He sliced with the blade again and again, but only found more empty space. Mick realized Lance was toying with him.

Coraline, conscious again and seeing the epic battle, repeatedly threw herself into her brother, only to be pushed roughly aside. Picking up a smoldering metal bar like a baseball bat, Lance aimed and struck Mick in the chest, bowling him over.

Coraline shrieked in soul-wrenching agony as Lance picked up the stunned Mick by the scruff of the neck and heaved him into the nearest raging fire.

For Mick, the world seemed as if in slow motion. As he sailed through the air towards the fire, he thought not of his impending death, but of Beth. In those few split seconds before the flames engulfed him, they lived a lifetime of happiness. _They met as mortals, the way it should have been all along, a mutual investigation the catalyst of a karmic encounter. Soon they were dating happily, each realizing how lucky they were to find the other in a sea of meaningless unions. They sizzled over and over with passion, their union the ultimate meeting of mind, body and soul. Three children followed their simple wedding on the beach - the girls all blonde and bubbly like their mother, their boy - serious as his hazel eyes and twice as smart. Older, they meet middle age together, taking quiet joy in each other and watching their children grow. Grandparents now – holding hands and reminiscing on a lifetime of love and laughter, meeting quiet death within days of each other. _An amazing life, all of it more than any one man could ever hope for. Mick smiled peacefully as he met the inferno.

He landed in the searing flames with a thud and threw himself out like a frog in boiling water, his body on autopilot as his mind acknowledged the pointless action. The searing pain hit as his clothes caught fire, spreading to his skin which bubbled and melted. He smacked at the flames on his body, wondering when the pain would stop and he would simply turn to ash – alive one second and dead the next, without leaving so much as bone to evidence there had ever been a living being here at all. He held his hands up to his face – morbidly curious to watch the end of his over-extended life. He waited, the flames on his clothing almost extinguished as the pain disappeared. But the end never came. He marveled as his skin reformed and mended before his startled eyes. _He was healing!_

Mick quickly extinguished the rest of the flames, his clothing now showing gaping holes where it had burnt through, but the skin underneath was untouched and good as new. _When Coraline had turned him all those years ago – had she passed on more than just vampirism? Was Mick's ability to heal a result of the royal bloodline? _There was no other explanation. No wonder Lance was so pissed off at his initiation into the family.

Taking stock, he hid in a space behind the roaring flames, Lance and Coraline ignorant of his survival.

Lance, considering the fight well and truly over, grabbed the sobbing Coraline by the throat. "You brought this down upon us!" he roared. "You must be punished for your treachery!"

He pulled Coraline up by the hair and sunk his gleaming fangs into her jugular. Crimson spurted from the corners of his mouth and ran down his chin as her panicked heartbeat hastened her death. In only moments, he cast her lifeless body aside as if it were nothing more than garbage and wiped his mouth.

Primal, animalistic rage bubbled up from Mick's inner core, overflowing in a tidal wave of hate and wrath. He bellowed, leaping the flames in a single bound and slamming bodily into Lance, sending them both tumbling to the concrete floor. Mick clutched his deadly knife – the blade still warm from the fire - and swiped at Lance. Lance, boggling from Mick's resurrection, rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the blow. He, in return, kicked at Mick's face, connecting with a stunning blow to his cheek. Mick rocked back, but immediately recovered, his anger making him immune to the pain. Lance, confident the powerful blow should have floored Mick, frowned in bewilderment. He kicked out again, connecting hard. This time Mick didn't even flinch. Lance scrabbled away from the advancing Mick like a crab across the floor, clutching at his body and face in disbelief. "NO!" he screamed.

Mick smiled chillingly as he detected Lance's changing scent. _Coraline's blood was doing its work – Lance was becoming human! She was right, the cure could be introduced through a human bloodstream... _

Lance, realizing what happened, attempted to flee from the charging Mick – making a run for the garage exit. Finding it blocked by rubble, he spun around wildly, seeking another way out. Mick closed in swiftly, a well aimed kick to the stomach sending Lance flailing through the air. He landed awkwardly and Mick heard more than one bone snap. Lance yelled in pain. Mick walked over to the broken body slowly, enjoying closing in on his kill even while knowing he shouldn't. He picked Lance up by the scruff and punched him square in the face, pulverizing his nose. Blood spurted down Lance's semi-conscious face. Mick struggled to reign in his temper – despite his better judgment, he was enjoying making Lance suffer and wanted his pain to last. Sanity eventually winning, Mick took his scalpel-sharp blade and poured his rage and hate into one clean stoke, severing Lance's head from his body and ending it quickly. It was more than Lance deserved.

Taking the bloody body and head, he threw them in the flames, watching as they slowly combusted. Feeling his rage slowly burn away with Lance's body, Mick suddenly remembered Coraline. He rushed over to her, crouching down and cradling her to his chest. "Coraline?" he questioned, lightly shaking her. He listened carefully in the now quiet garage, her heartbeat was very faint, but she was alive. He shook her some more, and she eventually opened her eyes just a slit.

"Mick?" she whispered, confused. Her face was so pale it was almost white, and her lips had a bluish tinge.

"It's me," he said softly. Coraline smiled and touched his cheek lightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. With extreme effort she moved her hand to her bodice and took out the cure, pressing it into his hand. "A wedding present."

Mick paused, hardly daring to touch it, then took the cure. "Thank you ... You're going to be ok, Coraline. I'll get Cynthia, she can …" Mick made a move to go to Cynthia. He could never turn Coraline, not even to save her life, but Cynthia could.

"No," Coraline sighed, interrupting him. "Stay with me. Please."

Mick nodded, tears forming.

"You were right," she said after a spell, peacefully lying in Mick's arms. "We were never meant to be …"

"Coraline, I …" Mick started.

She shook her head slightly and placed her fingers lightly on his lips. Smiling again, she mouthed _be happy _before closing her eyes for the final time. Her heartbeat slowed, and then stopped. Mick hugged his wife to his chest and broke down into wrenching sobs.

They stayed that way for a while - husband and wife in one last embrace. Eventually, Mick dragged himself off the floor and, wiping his tears, walked over and pulled the stake from Cynthia's chest. She took a wrenching breath and coughed. He helped her sit up as she slowly came back to life. When she could walk, he took her over to Coraline's body.

"Is she …" Cynthia breathed, wide-eyed.

Mick nodded. "Take care of her," he choked, before turning his back and walking away. He heard Cynthia crying over the body of her friend as he left what would forever be a concrete crypt.

+

**ONE YEAR LATER**

Beth hummed to herself as she wrapped Mick's gift and carefully placed it on his place setting at the dinner table. She was expecting him home to the penthouse at any moment, after he finished tying up some loose ends on an investigation they had just completed.

The last year had been a blur, but a happy blur. She remembered her relief at seeing Mick climb out of one of the blast holes into the Paris dawn, bruised, burnt and bloody, but alive. She had held him as he sobbed over the loss of Coraline – not asking questions and not feeling threatened as he expressed his deep loss. He deserved her support to grieve as he felt fit, and she gave it, willingly. Soon after, the revolutionaries had rejoiced when Yves had climbed out of the cavern and held the head of King Louis the 16th aloft. For good measure, they had set charges and collapsed the entrances to the underground palace. Beth had no idea if the vampire abode had ever been discovered, if it had – it had been kept from the media.

The first couple of months had been an adjustment, and Mick finished grieving before Beth had finally moved in. Spending a lot of time together just talking and feeling out their new relationship, Mick had shared his thoughts as he fell to what he thought would be his death in the fire. He had relived his fantasy of their perfect life together and Beth, happy to oblige, had given him his simple beach wedding - albeit under a marquee to protect the sun-sensitive. Then, on their wedding night, he had taken the cure and become human once more. It seemed appropriate - he had come full circle. While he had thought of taking the cure straight away, he wanted to be certain that Beth was ready for a lifetime with a normal man – sans the perpetual coolness of the dangerous vampire. She had assured him that she would love him no matter what he decided. And she had - and still did.

Their wedding night had been amazing not only because Mick had been reborn as a human, but because they had finally come together, two mortal souls pledging their hearts, minds and bodies to each other – fully and completely, without any holding back. Beth shivered as she remembered the no-holds-barred passion of that night and every night since. In her wildest dreams, she could never have imagined life and love could be so amazing!

Josef still came to visit under cover of night. At first he didn't know what to do with the human Mick, but as time went on they fell back into their easy camaraderie. He even helped on investigations when Mick felt there was 'something vampire' afoot. They hadn't convinced him to take the cure, and Mick doubted they ever would. But in the meantime the rest of the compound sat in Mick's safe and the vampire population remained ignorant of its existence.

After their wedding, Beth has resigned from the DA's office and joined Mick, forming St John Investigations. Now one of the most popular private investigative services in California, they worked side by side helping the people of LA and beyond.

What the future held? Who knew, but Beth was blissfully happy and thankful for every day she spent with her husband.

She smiled as she heard his key hit the lock. Strolling in, he swept her up in his strong arms and kissed her soundly. "Hey, you. Smells good!" he commented, wandering over to the pots simmering on the stove. Beth, aware of how much he had missed food over the last fifty-five years, had taken a gourmet cooking course so she could delight Mick with amazing meals whenever she was not working. Fortunately, they had no problem burning off any extra calories in the bedroom.

"What's this?" he asked, finally spying the gift laying neatly on his plate.

"A present for you," Beth said, pouring him a glass of red from the Napa Valley and handing it to him. She put the bottle away.

"Thanks!" he said, excited – he loved presents and Beth's were always thoughtful. He took a sip of wine and set about opening the wrapping. "Mmmm, that wine's good – you're not having any?" he asked Beth as he got busy.

"No, don't feel like it."

Mick finished his unwrapping and stared in confusion. Beth's gifts were usually good, but this one was weird. She seemed to have given him some kind of strange plastic thing. It was a white stick, about four inches long and had a clear plastic cap on one end and a window about halfway down on one side. The window had a pink plus sign in it. Not wanting to offend, he gave her what he hoped was a convincing smile of thanks.

"You have no idea what it is do you?" Beth giggled.

"Ah … not a clue, no," he admitted.

"And you're a private investigator? Scary."

Mick rolled his eyes as Beth came and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around him. "It's a pregnancy test," she whispered into his ear.

Jolted, Mick picked it back up and looked at the pink plus sign again – the penny dropping. "Are you …? Are we gonna be …?" It was hard to even let himself think it, he never thought something so wonderful would ever happen to him. He and Beth had discussed it, but neither of them knew if Mick was even capable of fathering children – whether his years as a vampire had rendered him permanently infertile.

Beth nodded, tears in her eyes. "You're going to be a daddy, Mick."

THE END


End file.
